ASPCA Block Party Celebrates the "Dog Days" of Summer at the Brooklyn Public Library

WHO: The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is bringing all five Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics to the Brooklyn Public Library on Saturday, July 17 for a Block Party to increase awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering New York City’s pets. The day-long event offers FREE pet services for the community and entertainment provided by Brooklyn-based musical artists Maiysha—2009 Grammy-nominated singer of the critically acclaimed debut album “This Much Is True”—and Bedford-Stuyvesant’s own Tuan X and local DJ Hard Hittin’ Harry.

“Each summer, the city’s shelters are inundated with hundreds of kittens and puppies without homes,” says Aimee Christian, Senior Director of the ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics. “The ASPCA is encouraging all pet parents to support New York City’s homeless pets by having their own cat or dog spayed or neutered.

In addition to reducing the city’s pet overpopulation, neutering provides many health and behavior benefits; pets live longer, remain healthier, and are less prone to nuisance behaviors.

Christian also highlights some of the challenges with the pit bull population in the city. “More than 40 percent of the dogs entering New York City shelters are pit bulls or pit bull mixes,” she says. “The ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics are determined to help the city and our neighbors reduce the pit bull population and provide greater opportunities for these dogs to find loving homes.”

WHAT: FREE SERVICES AVAILABLE:

• Spay/neuter surgery will be offered to all pets
• Free microchipping and free vaccinations for pit bulls and pit mixes
• All five of the ASPCA’s state-of-the-art mobile veterinary clinics will be on-site (the mobile clinics are custom-built hospitals on wheels, with the capacity to spay and neuter approximately 125 animals each day).

The day-long event will also feature:

• ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement agents, ASPCA Pet Care and Behavior experts
• Raffle prizes and giveaways
• Brooklyn musical artists Maiysha, Tuan X and DJ Hard Hittin’ Harry

WHEN: Saturday, July 17, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

WHERE: Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238

MORE: Although New York City has made great strides in reducing the number of homeless animals euthanized due to the lack of loving homes, more than 50,000 homeless pets enter New York City shelters each year. In 2009, the ASPCA spayed and neutered more than 31,000 cats and dogs on its mobile spay/neuter clinics. For more information about the ASPCA’s Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics, please call 877-SPAY-NYC (bilingual, 24 hours a day), or visit www.aspca.org/877spaynyc.